Ram, please find colour space to put this; Photo saved as: Oven Temperatures; please find another photo with a nice cake

IN THE words of Chef Rick founder of chefrick.com:
“You thought you had a good cake, but lately, he’s been hanging out in the wrong crowd: Some tough cookies. Soon, he’s coming home reeking of alcohol-based vanilla extract, and before you know it, your Angel (food) is on a one-way to culinary reform school.”
Here are some of the most common reasons he gave as to why good cakes go bad.

If the cake rose unevenly in the oven:
–    The flour was not blended sufficiently in the mixture;
–    the oven temperature was too high; or
–    the batter overflowed the pans. Make sure you use the right size pan; it should fill the pan by no more than two-thirds

If the cake is dense and heavy:
–    The eggs were too small. Always use large eggs when baking.
–    Insufficient air was mixed into the mixture;
–    the flour was not folded in gently;
–    the oven temperature was too low; or
–    too much flour was added to the creamed mixture.

If the top of the cake dropped:
–    The oven was too hot;
–    the cake was not cooked long enough; or
–    the oven door was opened too soon, which creates a draft.

If the batter curdles and separates:
–    The ingredients were not at room temperature;
–    the butter and sugar were not creamed together properly before adding the eggs; or
–     the eggs were added too quickly.

If the top of the cake peaks and crack:
–    The oven temperature was too hot, causing the outside of the oven to form a crust too quickly. As the mixture in the centre continued to cook and rise, it burst up through the top of the cake.

–    The cake wasn’t baked on the centre rack of the oven.

If fruits, raisins and nuts have sunk to the bottom:
–    The pieces of fruit were too large and heavy;
–    the sugary syrup on the fruit was not washed off, which caused the fruit to slide through the mixture as it heated;
–    the cake mixture was overbeaten or was too wet, so it could not hold the mixture in place; or
–    the oven temperature was too low.

Here is a handy guide to oven temperature settings, taken from ‘International Cooking, Guyana Style’. The cookbook, published by the United Women for Special Children (UWSC), contains favourite recipes from Guyanese who have welcomed and entertained expatriates with their famous hospitality, and from expatriates from around the world who have shared their culinary traditions with Guyanese. The book also includes some recipes from a 1976 cookbook printed by an American Women’s Group to help expatriates use different Guyanese products in food preparation.